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Loveland man puts headphone invention on the market (video)

Kyle Kirkpatrick designed the Decibullz moldable system because he couldn't find good earbuds

By Craig Young Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
01/15/2013 09:54:36 PM MST

Updated:
01/15/2013 09:54:50 PM MST

Loveland entrepreneur Kyle Kirkpatrick does a flip Tuesday on a trampoline at GK Gymnastics in Fort Collins to demonstrate how the Decibullz Custom Headphones he invented stay put inside his ears even while participating in a vigorous activity.
(
Steve Stoner
)

A Loveland entrepreneur who decided at the last minute to show off his invention on the worldwide stage of last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas says the experience was a success.

Kyle Kirkpatrick put his Decibullz Custom Headphones on the market about three weeks ago and decided he was ready for the big show. "Decibullz was very well received" in Las Vegas, he said.

"The big companies were very, very interested," said Kirkpatrick, who hopes to license his moldable earphone system. "A lot of companies wanted to get their hands on the technology."

Kirkpatrick, men's program director at GK Gymnastics in Fort Collins and a multi-sport athlete, devised the Decibullz system himself through trial and error.

Meeting a Need

"I invented it out of necessity," he said. "I was tired of headphones falling out and being uncomfortable when I was running or being active."

Every earbud he bought disappointed him, he said, even when he bit the bullet and "spent 200 bucks on a really nice pair of headphones."

"So I hit the books and did some research," he said, "and came across a system that really, really worked."

That system uses a thermoplastic material that the user molds to the shape of the ear. The molded headphone sits in the outer ear, rather than the ear canal, so it feels different but more comfortable than other styles, he said.

For $60, a customer gets earphones, molds "and a nice case with our logo on it."

Heat, Sculpt, Plug In

To fit, the user heats the molds in a cup of water in the microwave, then sculpts the molds in his or her ears and snaps in the actual speaker. When it cools, the mold material is hard.

If the fit isn't quite right, the user can reheat and remold the earphones as many times as necessary, he said.

"We couldn't believe no one had ever done this before," Kirkpatrick said.

He checked for patents on a similar system, and finding none, he and his wife, Janelle, decided to go for it.

"That day, we sold my car to pay for the patents and got it started."

He said he has two patents pending, on the molding material and the molding process.

Mostly Made in Loveland

The moldable pieces are manufactured by a company in the Loveland area, Kirkpatrick said. The electronics of the system, which he and an audio engineer designed, are manufactured in China.

And so far, the assembly of the kits and the shipping take place in the Kirkpatricks' west-Loveland home.

While not the cheapest headphones on the market, Decibullz are still dramatically cheaper than audiologist-fitted custom devices that can cost from $300 to $2,000, he said.

Kyle Kirkpatrick models a pair of Decibullz Custom Headphones Tuesday that he invented to stay inside ears when running or being active.
(
Steve Stoner
)

Kirkpatrick originally was targeting athletes with his product but soon discovered a much wider market. "A lot of people are having a hard time finding an earphone that will fit," he said.

In particular, musicians and motorcyclists like Decibullz for their noise-elimination qualities and the fit, he said.

True Believer

The dad of one of Kirkpatrick's gymnastics students also liked the invention -- so much that he invested in the business.

"I was there from the inception of it," said Fort Collins resident Gary Salomon. "I have been listening and coaching him all along."

Salomon, an entrepreneur himself, knows what it takes to get a good idea to market. In 1985, he and a partner founded Fastsigns International, a sign-making franchise. The business boomed to 550 stores worldwide before Salomon sold it a few years ago and moved from Dallas to Fort Collins, where he had attended Colorado State University in the late '70s.

Salomon said as co-owner of a successful franchise, he enjoys helping people go into business for themselves. He said he has invested in a number of companies over the years.

"You're not just investing in the business; you're investing in the person who's the driving force behind the business," he said, adding that if he had liked the product but not Kirkpatrick, he wouldn't have put his money into Decibullz.

"I love the fact that he created his product because he was looking for a solution," Salomon said. "I love Kyle's enthusiasm, his energy and the fact that he's such a high-integrity individual."

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